Greater China Field School 2015

In order to explore in-depth the root causes and effects of of economic integration and social and political fragmentation of Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China I took eleven undergraduate students from the University of Nottingham on the Greater China Field School (GCFS). The GCFS is a revamped version of the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies’ highly successful Field School module (T12180/T13180), which previously had only focused on mainland China but now also includes Hong Kong and Taiwan as travel destinations.

From 28 March until 16 April 2015 I facilitated the experiential learning of participating students by visiting government agencies, businesses, cultural entities and non-profit organisations as well as rural and urban communities in Hong Kong, southern China, and Taiwan. This was an excellent opportunity for participants to gain a first hand insight into contemporary history, politics, economics, society, culture and language of the Greater China region.

The Greater China Field School differs from conventional modules insofar as my students engage in experiential learning. They do not only read academic texts about a given issue (e.g. economic modernisation in southern China) but can also discuss their theoretic insights with practitioners (e.g. managers and workers at a factory in Shenzhen). Such conversations are thus informed both by theory and practice and allow students to engage in reflective learning.

By meeting people from all walks of life they increase their cultural awareness and sensitivity in a foreign environment. Students develop an awareness of the ethical issues related to gathering data. As part of the field school preparation participants foster a culture of safety through awareness, management and implementation of appropriate fieldwork practices. They develop skills of risk assessment related to fieldwork in China. In the context of experiential learning activities they further develop communication and group work skills.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the following individuals who contributed to the Greater China Field School 2015:

Mark L. Sheldon, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Edmund Cheng, London School of Economics
Samson Yuen, Oxford University
Mark Pixley and Karen Lim, Leadership Inc
Jun Y. Tsao, Association of Taiwan Bridge Travel Services
Chad Liu, Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
J. Michael Cole, Thinking Taiwan Foundation
Ketty W. Chen, Democratic Progressive Party
Lan-Shu Tseng, Chun-Yi Lee and Jean Britton, University of Nottingham

The Greater China Field School received generous funding from the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies
and the China Policy Institute Taiwan Studies Programme.

Tour facilitation by Studylink.

Cameras: C100, GoPro 3+, GH2
Lenses: Sigma 18-35 on C100, Sigma 30 on GH2
Color correction: ImpulZ LUT Tetrachrome 400
Music: Lee Rosevere – Still Water